Spike-protector for shoe-spikes.



No. 810,753 v PATENTED JAN. 23, 1906. W. O. HATFIELD.

SPIKE PROTECTOR FOR SHOE SPIKES. 'APPLIOATION FILED APR.18,1905.

mil 5111mm ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALLACE O. HATFIELD, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- THIRD TO TOBIAS C. GRIFFIN.

SPIKE-PROTECTOR FOR SHOE-SPIKES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 23, 1906.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WALLACE O. HATFIELD, of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Spike-Protectors for Shoe-Spikes, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in protectors for shoe-spikes or other spurs which are adapted to be fastened to the sole and heel of base-ball shoes, which are generally worn in out-of-door athletic sports.

My object is to provide suitable protecting-pads which are applied directly to the spurs or spikes on the sole and heel of the shoe and are held in operative position by friction and a suitable elastic connection be- I tween the sole and heel pad of each shoe. These spikes or spurs are usually made of metal and are in most instances sharpened to a knife-edge and hardened, so as to prevent slipping when used on the sole and heel of base-ball and other similar shoes. In most of these out-of-door sporting games the opposing teams are taken to and from their hotels or club-houses in sporting costumes or uniforms, including the spike-shoes, which are in most well-regulated hotels and clubhouses strenuously objected to if not entirely excluded, by reason of the fact that these spikes or spurs cut the carpets and rugs and otherwise mutilate the floors and furniture.

My object, therefore, is to provide a pad of leather or equivalent material which is moreor less flexible and adapted to be applied directly to and held in place largely by the friction of the leather with the spurs, thereby obviating any necessity for straps, lacings, or buckles.

A further object is to unite the heel and toe pads where heel and toe spurs are used by means of an elastic strap which will readily yield in the action of the foot in walking and operate to increase the friction between the pads and spurs upon which they are mounted.

Other objects and uses will appear in the following description.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents the sole of a shoe equipped with heel and toe spurs to which my improved pads are applied. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the deand is preferably triangular inoutline with' projecting spikes or spurs a at the corners,

such spurs being usually wedge shape or beveled to a knife-edge, so as to oppose forward, rearward, or side slipping when worn in the field, as in base-ball and similar outdoor games. In order that these shoes may be worn indoors without injury to carpets or rugs or mutilation of the floors or furniture, I provide two pads B and B, of leather or equivalent material, one for the toe spikes or spurs and the other for the heel-spikes, said pads being connected to each other by an elastic strap or tape C. Each of these pads B and B is of somewhat greater area than the spike-plate to which it is to be applied and is provided with one or more recesses 1), extending inwardly from one of its flat faces according to the number of spurs or spikes on the plate, said recesses being spaced apart or positioned in substantially the same manner as the spurs or spikes. These recesses are in this instance V shape to correspondto the form of the spurs or spikes and extend only part way through the body, so that when the pad is applied to the spurs or spikes the recesses b are registered therewith and are firmly pressed toward the sole of the shoe to wedge the spurs or spikes into the recesses with sufiicient force, so that the pads are held by friction with the spurs, and of course as soon as the weight of the wearer is brought upon these pads they are still more firmly wedged upon the spurs and at the same time may be readily removed when desired.

In order that the frictional grip between the pads and their spurs may be more positive, I provide the elastic band C, which when the pads are applied to the spikes is under tension and tends to draw the pads toward each other, thereby establishing an increased friction between the pads and their retaining-spurs.

When the pads are applied in the manner just described, the tread-faces are comparatively smooth and entirely conceal the s ikes or spurs, and at the same time the e astic strap C allows free action of the foot in walking, aside from its service in holding the pads in more positive frictional engagement with the spikes or spurs. The elastic connectingstrap C is inserted in the adjacent edges of the 'pads in a plane above their lower surfaces or treads, and the front body is usually slotted at b to receive the front end of the strap and allow a limited lateral play of such strap in the slot, said strap being attached to their respective pads by any suitable fastening means, as pins or nails cl.

In applying the pads to the shoe it is simply necessary to bring the recesses-of each pad into registration with their respective spurs or spikes andto then press the pads toward the sole of the shoe, while in removing the pads they may be usually pried from the spurs by the fingers-and folded up and carried in the pocket or placed in any convenient receptacle when not in use.- It will be observed that. these pads are held in lace solely by friction withthe spurs and wi 1 not require the use of any ankle-straps, bands, buckles, or lacings, the fastening means being wholly below the sole of the shoe.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination with the heel and toe spikes of a shoe, heel and toe pads having recesses receiving said spikes, an elastic strap connecting said pads, said pads being recessed to receive said strap and means for positively securing the ends of said strap in said pads.

2. In a protector for spike-shoes having heel and toe spikes, the combination of separate heel and toe ads applied to the spikes and frictionally he d thereby, an elastic strap connecting said pads in a plane above their lower surfaces, said pads being formed with longitudinal kerfs to receive the ends of said strap, and a securing element positively unitlng the ends of said strap to said pads and extending through the kerfed sections of said pad and saidstrap held therebetween.

3. A protector for spiked shoes embodying elastic heel and toe pads interfitting over the heel and toe spikes of said shoes and held thereupon by frictional resistance, and an elastic strap connecting said pads and increasing said frictional resistance with said heel and toe pads by its tension.

4. A protector for spiked shoes embodying elastic heel and toe pads interfitting over the heel and toe spikes of said shoes, said pads being. suitably recessed to receive said spikes and being held upon said spikes solely by frictional resistance, and an elastic connecting-strap positively secured to each of said pads and increasing said frictional resistance of said pads with said spikes by its tension.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 8th day of April, 1905.

WALLACE o. HATFIELD.

Witnesses:

H. E. CHASE, M. M. Now. 

